A Promise of support
by DeadThingsStayDead
Summary: Two best friends trying to survive the London flood in 1928. One of them sick to the point of passing out, the other traumatized after witnessing a little girl drown. A promise of the past lets them overcome their experience.
1. Chapter 1

**Ummm. Hi. So, I'm guessing not a lot of people will read this, but if you do, let me know? I don't really know about it yet, plus I have my other story on "hold", 1. because of writersblock and 2 because of my lack of imagination at the moment. I try, though.**

 **Oh. And I just saw that about 40 people read this and I got really happy like an idiot for a second there. Thanks. Okey, I'll go wipe off that creepy smirk now. (Oh. And I'll have you know, that 5 days later it's increased to more than 200. *screams* AWESOME!)**

 **Oh and don't just skip the authors notes because they might be boring. Even if they are... Fine I'll shut up and et you read.**

 **1928, 6. January, London**

Frantic pounds on the wooden door snapped him out of his shallow sleep. He opened his heavy lids, so he could peer out of the window, just to see that the rain was still pouring in buckets.  
The glass was covered in water, rushing down the wall on the outside, so he could barely even see anything. A sharp sting made him shut his eyes again. His head still throbbed. He raised his hand from the couch to feel his forhead, which was burning up. Even after several days, the fever still hadn't gone down. _When the sky lets up, I'll go see a doctor._ Sweat ran down his his pale face, past the heated cheeks and the slim neck. His black hair stuck to the side of his head.

Then he remembered the knock. He gazed to the other side of the room, black eyes fixing on the door. Hesitantly he got up form the couch and made his way past the closet to the entrance. There it was again, the banging on the door. "Sasuke! We need to leave!" He opened it. Naruto. But it wasn't the blond that caught his attention. Behind him, the wind raged through the streets, houling past the old english houses. It brought heavy rain and dark storm clouds with it. "I'm not going anywhere, idiot, not in this weather. Get out." Sasuke mumbled, attempting to close the door in the others face, when he squeezed through the crack and into the appartment on the ground floor.

Naruto was drenched, form head to toe, his almost golden hair flat on his face. The black t-shirt he wore stuck to his tones upper body, revealing the broad shoulder and muscles on his abdomen. His jeans were ripped and soaked like the rest. In comparison, the blond was almost a head taller than the raven. "I'm telling you! We need to get away from here, this place'll be flooded in no time." Finally, Naruto turned to look at his best friend. His sky blue eyes were widened and his mouth was open, breathing heavily.

 _Did he run here? He must have, in that kind of weather._ Sasuke, who was dressed in a black sweatshirt and pants, looked at him annoyed. "You're still sick." A statement, not a question. It was easy to guess that, since he had dark circles under his eyes, flushed cheeks and trouble standing straight without support. "God damn it, Sasuke. Of all the times, why now?" He was pacing now, all the while mumbling something to himself. The raven was still holding the door, thinking about the nonsense the other was talking about. "This isn't funny, Naruto. I'm really tired, leave." He said again, pointing outside. Naruto looked the way the finger was pointing and his eyes widened in shock. "Shit." He said. Confused, Sasuke glimpsed through the crack as well.

Gushes of water were flooding the sides of the road, splashing into his own livingroom. His first reaction was to slam the door shut as hard as possible. "What the hell?" Sasuke muttered in shock, when he saw more water leaking in from underneath the door.

He stumbled back against a shelf and grabbed onto the levels for support. Naruto snapped out of it and looked back at his friend again. "I told you! We need to get the fuck out of here!" He shouted. Sasuke looked from the door to the blond and back again. "You want me to go out there? Have you lost your mind?!" He screamed. Something he regretted seconds later, because of the pounding in his head. Naruto stared at him in fury, stepping from one foot to the other impatiently. "This place'll be flooded in no time, considering how close you live to the fucking river. So, yes, I want you to get out of here, unless you want to drown." He said, emphasising the last part. Sasuke managed to stop himself from screaming again, remembering the pain it had caused the last time. "Stop messing with me, idiot. There's no way in hell this place is going to be flooded because of a bit of rain." He hissed instead. _This isn't something new. It happened every year at least once._ Sasuke conciously ignored the fact, that he'd never seen that amount of water heading down the street before.

Sighing, he headed back to the couch, slowly, as to not fall flat on his face. Before he could sit down, however, the blond grabbed his arm and yanked him away from the comfy pillows.

He lost his footing, when he stumbled over the coffeetable in front of him. He fell forward, crashing into Narutos chest with a gasp. He was caught with ease, considering their hight and weight difference. "What the hell are you doing?!" Sasuke exclaimed, when he pushed himself off with a huge amount of effort. Naruto hesitated, looking down at his friend for a few seconds. Then he caught himself. "For once in your life, listen to me! Do you even realise what's happening? The river is overflowing. My apartment is three blocks from here and the water reached up to my knees when I left. We need to get to Sakuras. She lives further to the center, so we'll be safe there." He mumbled the last two sentences so Sasuke could barely hear him. Aside from that, he was shocked. In all the years he'd lived in London, no, his whole life, something like this had never happened. _The fucking river started overflowing?!_ "Shit." He released an exhausted breath and sunk down to the couch, cupping his forhead with his palm. "Did you hear me? Let's go. Now." Naruto insisted, gripping his friends shoulder. "If I go outside in that weather, I'm going to pass out, Naruto." He murmured, massaging his temples firmly. _I can't handle this right now._ He felt drowsy. All he wanted to do was sleep through this shitty storm.

The blond frowned and pulled Sasuke to the coat rack. Both of them to occupied to notice the increasing amount of water seeping in from underneath the door. Naruto helped him dress into a black jacket and green army boots. "Ready?" He asked a little more calm now.

"No"

"Okey, then let's go to Sakura."

Naruto grabbed Sasukes wrist and pulled him out into the whirling storm. Had he let go, the raven would most likely have been swoon away by the wind or just collapsed and died of hypothermia. The latter still being an option for both of them. The wind was freezing and so was the water. It was January after all. The blonde remembered how he wished for snow just a few days prior, cursing himself for it now. November and December had been awfully dry, not one drop of water, let alone snow. Now it seemed like the clouds let down everything they had accumulated at once, above this city alone.

The weight he was pulling increased, which made him turn around. His friend was leaning against a wall, soaked and breathing heavily. His free hand was placed on his forhead. "Oi, we need to keep going if we don't want to be washed away." He shouted. If he hadn't, the wind would have stolen his words and carried them away with him. They would have ended up being crashed against the housewall at he end of the street. Sasuke raised his head drowsily. He looked confused, as if he'd not understood anything of what he'd just heard. The dark circles around his eyes looked even bigger than before. He pulled his hand out of the others grip and staggered back.

"Shit" Naruto mumbled, still eyeing Sasuke. _If we keep going, he'll pass out for sure._

He looked back the way they had come, shaking his head. We can't go back. The water is getting stronger. He focused on Sasuke again. "Just stay awake. We'll be there soon..."

 _Liar._

The raven, who still had trouble staying on his feet, nodded a curtly. Then he pushed himself off the wall, drawing in a long breath before taking the few steps to catch up with Naruto. After approaching him slowly, his sight began to blurr, and his stance got even less stable. That didn't go unnoticed by the blond, who gasped and caught Sasuke before his knees could give in. He was caught by strong arms, but felt nothing after that. All he could see was darkness and his concience slipping away.

Naruto panicked, staring at his immobile friend, slumped in his arms. _This couldn't get any worse... Scratch that, I could come up with a bunch of things, but that doesn't matter. Can't believe you're seriously making me carry you though, selfish bastard._ He thought with a scowl on his face.

Determined to get out of the rain, he draped the other boys thin arms around his shoulders and lifted him up on his back.

 _You better be grateful._

He could feel the breath on the nape of his neck and the soft wet bangs falling on his collarbone. The heat of the others forhead burned against his shoulder and it seemed to get more intense by the minute. Narutos eyebrows furrowed in worry.

 _He's had this kind of fever for a while now... What will happen if I don't get him out of this rain soon? Fuck._

"Damn it!" he cursed out loud. He had to hurry. Yet he restrained himself from running, as to not worsen his friends condition more.

He jerked around, when he heard a loud noise coming from behind him; A wooden barrel was being carried by a wave, causing it to bang against the housewalls. It was headed straight for him. In a fit of panick, he jumped to the side just in time to see it rush past him and bang against the wall up ahead, smashing it into several pieces along with the wave, which dispersed. He groaned because of the pain that stung his right shoulder. He'd landed on the hard cobblestone, after slipping on the wet ground. Sasuke was still on his back, but it seemed his right forearm had been crushed between the stone and Naruto. It was scraped and blood trickled form various scrapes on the delicate skin. It didn't wake him up. "Where the hell did that come from?! That fucking barrel could have killed us!" Naruto shouted into the open road.

The water came rushing more forcefully now. It already reached up to the middle of his shins. He was more worried now, so he was about to continue in Sakuras direction when he heard a crash, followed by a scream.

 **And that's it. Think about it, fellows. Any suggestions on what else could happen? Cause otherwise they'll be out of harms way pretty fast. (Until the end of the second chapter.**

 **Hope you liked it (Please tell me if you did, I really do appreciate it.),**

 **Ellie**

 **PS: That accidental bump might not have been very accidental after all... wink wink.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Tada? Did anyone look forward to it?  
Well, even if you didn't, you'll have to deal with it being here. *wink wink*  
So here you go. Enjoy. 3**

 **Oh and by the way, I got a review a few minutes ago, and got as happy as a child that just got a years supply of candy.  
Yes. I shall continue this story with pride.**

 **Also, since noone objected to the 'they'll be out of harms way' thing, I guess that's it. Oh well. There'll be fluff instead.**

It was a childs voice, a girl, he was sure of that, and it came from a house further up the road. Contemplatingly he stared at Sasukes pained face. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lids were shut tightly. _Will he be okey if it takes a little longer_ \- His thought was cut off, when he heard the girl scream for help again. He cringed, but made his decision and ran to a stone house, completly forgetting to be gentle for his friends sake.

"Ran" might be a bit exaggerated, more like jumped, considering the hight of the water.

"Where are you?!" He screamed, once he'd stepped over the threshold, half of the house being in tremmors. He placed Sasuke on the ground, into the water, close to the entrance. His back was leaned against the wall and his head touched a bulky closet. "I'll be right back." Naruto said quietly.

"Hey! Where are you?!"-"Please get me out!" He heard the plea, coming from behind the wall. It was followed by coughing. Hastily, he walked further, where there was a large hole he could fit through. There was a girl inside, she couldn't have been older than twelve, who was lying in the water; her leg crushed underneath a wooden beam.

He stopped in his tracks, unable to move for a moment. It was petrifying.

The place around the child was in dire state, half of the roof had caved in on one side, covering what looked like a bed. The nightstand had been smashed to pieces, which were floading on the agitated water. The walls were reduced to rubble, only leaving small fractions that were still standing. And then the girl.

She was in the middle of the remainders, almost swallowed up by the black water. The smallest wave could cover her airways. Had she not supported herself on her arms, she would have drowned.

Her blond hair swayed in the liquid around her, draping over her face in strands. She was deathly pale.

"Please... Get this off of me!" He cried out, tears on her cheeks. Her desperate green eyes focused on Naruto.

Her words were like magic, calling him back to life and making him move towards her. Her arms were trembling. "I can't keep myself up for much longer." She whimpered quietly. "It's okey, I'll definitly get you out. Just hang on. I'll get this off your legs." He said, trying to sound reassuring. Dubiously he glanced at the thick junk of wood, lying on her legs.

 _I_ _ **can't**_ _move that._

He gulped, but still started pulling at the beam. It didn't budge. "Please hurry!" She sniveled. She was breathing heavily. "I've got you. You'll get out. I promise." He said. His hands started aching, splinters digging into his skin. "We're okey." he said again.

 _I_ _ **have to**_ _get her out._

He fastened his stance beneathe the water and pushed as hard as he could instead of pulling. Finally, the wood gave in.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "It's getting off, you'll be out soon!" He said, not waiting for a reply. It rolled off her calves with a little more effort, releasing her.

She didn't move.

Confused, Naruto turned his head to look at her, but she didn't return his gaze. She faced down, her body limp. He arms must have given up half way through. His eyes widened. Immediatly he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her head.

 _She's dead._

Her empty eyes stared up at him, mouth open in a last attempt for life.  
Tears disturbed his sight. _It's my fault._ He pushed her hair out of the way. "I'm so sorry..." He whimpered.

He gently placed his fingers on her eyelids, dragging them down to cover the frightning stare. "...so sorry." he repeated between sobs. Then he let her go.

When Naruto got back to the front door, Sasuke was still unconsious. His face was devistated when he lifted his friend back onto his back. "Sasuke. Please wake up." Naruto sniffled, getting rid of the tears with the back of his hand.

 _I can't handle this alone._ Nothing but the howling wind answered him.

He pushed further, threading through the narrow flooded streets, while trying to get the picture of the girl out of his head.

By now, the water reached just below his chest, covering Sasukes entire lower body. Five more minutes. Naruto thought, ignoring the crashing sounds behind him. _Please just let everyone else be safe._ He didn't want to encounter anything remotly similar to what he had just experienced. He was too afraid.

He turned his head when he heard a soft groan. "Sa- Sasuke? Are you awake?" He asked just loud enough to be heard over the wind. "Naruto..." The raven mumbled, blinking.

 _He's carrying me?! What the hell happened?_

"Thank god! I was so worried!" Naruto said, faking a smile. His best friend didn't need to know what happened. At least not right now. "What happened?" Sasuke asked, slowly sliding off the others back, keeping his left arm draped around his shoulders for support. The blonde placed his hand on Sasukes waist. Suddenly, he felt a sharp wave of pain from his right hand. It was covered in blood. "Ah... I sort of fell on you, dodging a barrel. Sorry." He kept the smile on his face.

"That's not what I meant. I want to know what has you faking a smile." Sasuke replied slowly, making sure his headache didn't get any worse.

Normally, he would have been pissed about being fell on, but this time, the situation was to serious. He knew Naruto better than to fall for a fake smile like that. It was even more obvious than the usual ones.

"It's because the fucking city is flooded and you're in shitty shape. But everything'll be fine as soon as we get to Sakuras." He said. Naruto got rid of the expression on his face. He was obviously worried. Or fightened. Both of which not only because of him or the situation.

 _Why don't you tell me?_

"What happened while I was unconcious?" Sasuke said with a cool voice. It made the blonde freeze. A pained look crossed his face for a second, then it was gone. "Nothing happened."

 _That bad?_

"Why are you lying to me?" Sasuke said. He reached out for the others shoulder with his wounded hand for reassurance, when it was smacked away. Confused, he looked up, ignoring the stinging pain. "I **told** you. Nothing happened." Naruto hissed, continuing on, leaving Sasuke behind.

After a few steps through the high water, he glanced back. Sasuke hadn't moved. He was staring at the dark surface, his eyebrows furrowed and the corners of his mouth pulled down. He was biting his lip. Then he raised his healthy hand and rubbed his forhead.

 _I hurt him._ Naruto realised.

"Sasuke, I'm so-" - "Why won't you tell me." It couldn't have been more than a whisper, yet the wind carried the words to Narutos ears. They were full of hurt and rejection. The raven was staring back at him, his expression serious, while his body had trouble keeping it's balance against the waves. He didn't answer the question.

 _You don't need to deal with this right now. Right now, we need to get away from here._

After a while, Sasuke nodded slowly in understanding, as if he read the others thoughts. He got closer with a few unsteady steps.  
Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder as they kept walking. If it was because Sasuke still had trouble walking or for some sort of mental support, he wasn't sure, but he was grateful.

"You two!" When they heard the call, they gazed further down the street. There was a man, clad in a yellow jacket, waving at them from one of the ruined houses. When they got closer, he started explaining: "It's unsafe for civillians to walk in the streets! We've gathered the people from this part of the city in the church. The struckture is strong enough to stand against the force of the water." They nodded. He pointed behind him, gesturing them to follow him.

 **That's it for chapter 2. It's shorter than the other one, isn't it. I just had to find a good spot to end it and if I hadnt stopped here, it would have been a loooooooong chapter... So you can look forward to the next one. Most likely it'll be a long one.  
I must admit that the whole 'The church is a safe place!' thing is a bit rushed, but I really didn't feel like going into it anymore. After all, it's not the main focus of the story now, is it? **

**Not quite sure yet, but I think the next chapter will be a flashback to when Naruto met Sasuke and Sakura. We shall see.**

 **Did you enjoy it? Please tell me, I'll welcome your critizism and ideas (praise?) with open virtual arms.  
-Ellie **


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy sh*t. It's longer than I thought. When I looked at it earlier, it didn't look like much, but now... woah. I just impressed myself. (Compared to others I've read, this is nothing though...) Oh well. Don't blame me if the next one'll be cut short because of this.**

When they entered the church, they were immediatly covered with warm blankets and given a mug with hot water in it by a nun. She muttered an apology for not being able to provide anything besides that, then she left their side.  
The building was full of people, all of them huddled together in groups. Barely anyone spoke.

The two of them threaded through the crowd into a corner and let themselves slide down the wall to the floor. Sasuke let out a relieved sigh, resting his head against the stone and tightning the cloth around his shoulders. He raised his head and gazed at Naruto with a worried look in his eyes.

 _You're shivering, exhausted and your fever's worsened. Why the hell are you worried about_ _ **me**_ _?_

"Sasuke. Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine." Naruto said, shaking his head. He was aware that Sasuke knew when he lied, but he didn't want to talk about it. "I know you're not."

He looked away, scanning the people in the room with a hazy view. Most of them were lying on the ground or staring at the wall. It made him wonder what they had witnessed. Had their house collapsed? Did they just nearly escape death? Or did someone close to them actually die? Sasuke couldn't help but notice the similarity of their gazes to Naruto's. He stared at his best friend, rubbing his head.

 _Do you really think I'm that dense? If I didn't know you any better, I'd leave you be, but you're acting like you're doing this for me._ He kept studying the blonds features, trying to read the others thoughts as if they were his own. His forehead was creased and the corners of his mouth were pulled down. But just slightly. Sasuke had only seen that expression on him once in his life, and it wasn't a fond memory of his.

 _Did you actually see someone die?_

When he heard footsteps coming closer, he got rid of the thought and focused on the girl running towards them. She must have been about his hight and she seemed to be quite fragile as well. He squinted, when he tried to get a closer look at her traits. It took a lot of effort, since his eyes just didn't seem to want to focus.  
There was a blancket on top of her head, which hid her hair. While she ran towards them, however, it swayed with the movement and revealed a few stray pink strands. The green eyes glinted in the dim light, when she caught his gaze.

"Ah." He said a few moments later, when he recognised her as Sakura.

Naruto followed his line of sight and stood as soon as he saw her. "Thank god you're okey!" She said, when she wrapped her arms around the blond. The rag fell off her head, letting the shoulder length hair flow freely. "It's good to see you to, Sakura." He answered, when he let her go. "You look like shit. Especially you, Sas." She said, crouching beside him and hugging him as well. He didn't make any attempt to return the gesture, just glared at her as soon as she withdrew. She probably meant it as a joke, since her clothes didn't look a lot better than theirs did. The green coat she wore was torn at the bottom and her black pants were still drenched. "Shut up." Sasuke mumbled in return. His exhaustion seemed to grow rapidly, weighing down his eyelids and sapping his strength. He didn't give in. Sakura raised an eyebrow at the ravens response. Not that what he'd said shocked her, more like the lack of annoyance, that filled every word he said, worried her. She cupped his forehead with her hand and pulled back almost instantly.

"How are you even awake right now?! Your fever is way to high." She said, her eyes wide. Her loud voice pounded in his head. That was it. The pain spread throughout his body and absorbed the last of his will to stay awake. His lids shut, expression relaxing, and his head fell on his shoulder.

"I think I like him better this way. He's even cuter and doesn't spout any snarky remarks. Just like he used to be." Sakura commented, when she rested Sasukes head on her thighs and strocked the hair out of his face. "He does look peaceful..." Naruto agreed.

"So, why did Sasuke try to stay awake so desperatly?" She said, locking eyes with him. She was still passivly twirling a black strand around her finger. Naruto tensed noticably.

"Why the hell do both of you need to be so fucking perseptive?" He asked destressed. She just shrugged, but kept her eyes on him. "Sasuke's the one that can read you like an open book. As for me, I've known him since we were born, so I know pretty much everything there is about him. And I noticed the look he gave you.  
Spill it."

 ** _AN: Yeah, that's right! Get ready for a fucking flashback. (Excuse my cursing.)_**

~Back then, 5 years earlier~

The sun burned down on the bustling streets of London, when Naruto and his parents stepped into the city for the first time. The streets were crowded with people of all classes, dressed in rags or finely sowed clothes. The twelve year old gazed at the horse carrages that hurried past them and raised an eyebrow when he heard a driver curse another for cutting in the line. The city's different from the country, that's for sure.

Soon they left the buisy streets in the center and arrived near their new house. His mother, a beautiful woman with long red hair, carried a heavy bag to the front door and placed it on the ground, before facing her son. "We'll be fine here. Go explore." She said with a glint in her eyes. The kid eagerly nodded and ran off.

When he walked up the street, he saw two of children, sitting on barrels, talking and laughing. One of them, the girl, had shot pink hair, which was tied up into a ponytail on the back of her head. Her eyes were a breathtaking green. The tanned skin looked perfect clad in the white dress that fell past her knees loosely.

She was biting her lip as she stared at their fists in anticipation. The boy, whose fist was touching hers, had a huge smirk on his face. His midnight black bangs fell past his jaw and the rest of the hair were spiked at the back of his head. The black shorts and green shirt, were covered in dirt and so was his fair skin.

His dark eyes glinted in mischief as he banged his knuckles onto hers in a swift motion before she could pull away. She sucked in air through her clenched teeth, but laughed off the pain.

 **AN: In case you're not familiar with this game, the entire purpose is to hit the others hand with as much force as possible. The other one has to try and evade. Incase he manages to do so, it's his turn to hit. It goes on until one of them gives up. (In this case, I'd be Sasuke. My reflexes are as fast as a snake, not even kidding.)**

Naruto watched the two of them from afar for a while, saw, how the girl raised her hands in defeat after being hit six more consecutive times and the boy raised his fist into the air triumphantly. At that, the girl smacked his shoulder and ruffled up his hair with a smile. Both of them laughed again. _They seem close._

At some point, the raven glanced in his direction and motioned him to come closer.

Naruto was taller than both of them. The others were about the same hight.

"Yo. You're the new kid, right?" He asked. Him and the girl both had a kind smile on their face. "Yeah, that's me. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Are you alright?" The blond asked the girl in front of him with a questioning look. Her knuckles were a bright red and bruises started to form around the same area. She raised her hand and stared at it for a moment, before waving the concern away. "It's fine." She said, jumping from one leg to the other.

There was an awkward silence for a second before Naruto broke it. "Won't you tell me your names?" - "Oh right. I'm Sakura Haruno." He ignored the hand the boy had exstended and gave him a hug instead. When she pulled back, he still had a surprised expression on his face, which triggered the raven to laugh. "Sasuke Uchiha. I think we'll get along." He, too, ignored the hand, and patted his shoulder.

They met on the street again the next day, all three of them. "Okey, tell us something about yourself. Afterwards, you get to ask us anything." Sakura said happily, leaning against Sasukes side. He didn't push her away. "Well... I'm twelve. I just moved here from the country, so I'm not really accostumed to the big city yet. I don't have any siblings." He finished. The others gave him blank stares.

"Well that's boring." The girl commented. "You could at least have made something up." The boy nodded in agreement. Naruto just looked at them in confusion, when Sasuke decided to tell the blonds story. "There used to be a boy, no older than twelve, who spent his nights reading by the fireplace. His parents would always tell him to keep a safe distance from the fire, yet the boy didn't listen, and sat closer to it with every passing day. One evening, he was left alone, by the fire, and got so close, that the pages lit up in hot flames. Shocked the boy did the only thing he could think of, and threw the blazing book to the floor. But it would end in tragedy. The house caught fire and burned down that same night. The firemen had been to late to put it out and the family had to move to the big city. And here you are now!" He grinned when it came to a close and bowed his head in playful respect, when Sakura claped excitedly.

"Bravo! Bravo!" She shouted. "But I'd like to change one thing." She said and continued when the other two gave her their full attention. "It should have been a dragon that attacked his home." She said, while her gleeful smile broadened. Sasuke rolled his eyes and laughed. Naruto stared at them. After a moment, he shook his head in amusement. "You're right. That is more interesting." Then he laughed as well.

 _They're totally different from anyone I've ever met before._

"So, now that we know your tragic backstory, go ahead and ask us anything." Sasuke said then, his attention back on Naruto. "Um.. How long have you known each other." - "Since forever." They answered at the same time, before Sakura exploded in giggles and Sasuke smirked.

"Are you a couple?" He asked this one with slight hesitation. After all, he'd just met them yesterday.

This time, they didn't answer in unison. The girl just looked at the raven in expectation, while he gawked at the blond with incredulous eyes. "Is that what it looks like?" He asked. Naruto nodded. Sasuke's jaw dropped. "Never in a million years." He then said. He groaned in pain a few moments later, after Sakura punched him in the arm. Then they faced each other and glared, which made Naruto chuckle. They gave him confused glances until he said: "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Then all of them burst into laughter.

"Alright. I'll give you some basic information. I'm 13 and Sasuke's 12. While I'm a single child, Sasuke has an older brother called Itachi. We usually go to school, but we're on holidays right now. And, even though I don't like to brag, I'm the top of our class." She said in a proud voice. Well, you obviously do like to brag. Naruto chuckled. Before Sakura could ask what was so funny, Sasuke cut her off. "Don't spit nonsense. We both know you're second to me. Heck, Naruto knew the minute he met us, right?" He said, waiting for a word of agreement. "Neither of you looks very smart to me." Naruto deadpanned. The others just stared at him in disbelief. Sasuke blinked a few times, still trying to understand what the blond had just said. Meanwhile Sakura raised her eyebrows. Watching their expressions, Naruto realised how insulting that must have sounded. He was just about to go all out in a massive apology when the others burst out in uncontrollable laughter. They pointed at each other and called things like "He called you stupid!" and "You really do look like an idiot!" inbetween breaths.

Seeing them like that, he wished he could be part of it. That beautiful thing called friendship that was so deeply rooted within them. Intertwining their lives. To the small blond boy, those two kids coud be compared to a vain of gold in a vast coal mine. A beautiful blooming rose among withered petals. A soaring bird in the empty sky.  
Such kind-hearted, welcoming people that radiate a strong sense of belonging. A sort of familiarity, that lightened up the darkness and managed to lift off any burden dragging you down.

It wouldn't last longer than a year.

 **There. Got a bit of forshadowing in there, but you can imagine what's gonna happen, can't you? So yeah, I'll need to see just how long this Flashback will take (probably another chapter, at least half.) but I hope you like it, despite not knowing what'll happen with the real story.**

 **Honestly, at this point, neither do I... *Shrugs* I'll come up with something unless one of you would share their genius fanfic experiences. Something epic would be nice.**

 **Oh and obviously I realise how OOC Sasuke is in the flashback, but like the story explains, his family is alive. Keep that in mind.**

 **As always (or at least the last two chapters) feel free to tell me what you think. Regardless, I'll probably go insanly happy.  
Well, see ya~**

 **-Ellie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, there! I'm back! I know, I know. Considering that it only took me about 4 days to get three chapters up, waiting almost a week for the next one is slightly annoying, but believe it or not, I, too, have a life. Sort of. Oh, well. Here it is. It isn't as short as I imagined it being, but it's fine.  
Also, please overlook grammer mistakes, I just really wanted to upload a new chapter and didn't really bother checking through all of it...**  
 **Enjoy.**

* * *

The snow had fallen for two straight days and it didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. The large flakes rested on the ground, piling up and covering the streets in an untainted white sheet.

In the middle of it, stood Sakura, blowing hot air into her hands, attempting to warm them up. It didn't do any good. She wrapped the ragged red coat closer to her body and cursed internally.

 _Why couldn't we just meet Sasuke at his house and celebrate christmas? What does Naruto want?_

She grumbled and paced, leaving tracks in the snow. "Hey, Sakura." The low voice made her turn around and she glared at the blond. He was shivering as well, which was by no means a surprise, since he was only wearing a blue hoody. He smiled sheepishly. "It's about time. What do you want?" She said abrasively. "Umm, well, I wanted to ask you something... No, actually, I wanted to tell you something." He corrected himself, fidgeting around. He grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. When she only raised her eyebrow, he took on a serious expression. "I really like you. You're beautiful, quick-witted and kind. I'd just like to know how you felt." He said determinedly, looking her straight in the eyes. Her pupils dilated and eyebrows furrowed. She surpressed the urge to laugh at his ridiculouse face, since it, most likely, was pretty important to him.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. But I see you as nothing more than a friend. Thanks though." She said with a smile.

Despite what she was expecting (something like tears, or an emotional breakdown), he nodded in understanding. It was as if he'd been aware of the answer before asking the question. "I told you she'd refuse. She's too in love with me to go out with anyone else." Of course it was Sasuke. He'd known her all her life and would be able to tell exactly what descisions she'd make. She narrowed her eyes when she realized what he'd said, trying to hide the blush on her face. With a few steps she stood in front of him and punched him in the gut with all her strength, forcing him to double over and gasp for air. "Shut it." She said. The raven let himself fall to the side and started laughing deliriously. Soon, Naruto joined, leaving the girl standing next to them in utter confusion. "I can't believe she punched you!" The blond shouted, holding his own stomache. Sasuke kept rolling around in the snow, drenching the black fabric draped over his shoulders. His face was made up of a mixture of pain and amusement, when he shouted: "I can't believe she didn't deny it!" Earning him a kick in the thigh from the pinkhaired girl. He winced again, but didn't stop laughing. Her face turned almost as red as her coat and there was no way to hide it.

"Fine! Shut up. Lets just go inside and enjoy christmas, before I rip off your head." Sakura said, the last part specifically directed towards Sasuke, who completly ignored the threat. By then, he'd gotten back on his feet and ruffled up his hair to get rid of the snow inside it.

She headed towards the Uchiha residence, her face still the same color as before. Inconspicuously, she listened in on the mumbed words of the boys, who were lagging behind. She heard muffled words from Sasuke. "Sorry about that earlier, I was trying to cheer you up, but I guess I made things worse..."-"No, it's fine, really. You even told me she would probably reject me." When she turned around to face them, she saw that Sasuke had placed a supporting hand on Narutos sholder.

What a nice feeling it is to have best friends.

* * *

"Sakura. Don't you think it's about time we include him in our little promise? It's almost been a year after all." Sasuke said. She nodded, then they faced the blond. "What promise?" He wondered. "We promised that we'd always be there for each other when the other is in pain or in trouble. Always." Sakura said. "Will you be part of it?" She asked. Naruto nodded eagerly.

Even though it felt like it was already there, like an unspoken truth, to actually make it official was what he wanted. It was something he could rely on. It made him smile, since he knew, that even if he'd be completly down in the dumps, they would be able to bring him back with their kind words and friendly smiles. All of this wasn't just for show. The promise itself was just a cover up or that's how Naruto would have described it. Of course, he would uphold what Sakura had said, but what it really meant, was that they accepted him as one of the most important people in their lives. He could be their confiant, with whom they could share their darkest secrets and worries.

To him, the two of them had been exactly that shortly after he'd met them. He would never say it out loud though.

All three of them held their thumbs in the middle as Sasuke pulled out a pocket knife. He cut through the skin of their fingers, one after the other. Blood dropped to the ground as they rubbed their wounds together and said "I promise".

Sakura quickly licked away the liquid on her finger, frowning, when the coppery taste spread in her mouth. Naruto followed her example, but Sasuke stared at his finger in awe, observing how it trickled down his thumb. The girl rolled his eyes, muttered something like "Like always." and flicked his ear. He flinched and instinctively covered it with his hand. "Just say something when you want to talk to me, brute." He snarled, dragging a bloody line along the hemline of his shorts. "Fine. I've always wondered, but what is your weird obsession with blood? It's as if everytime you see even a drop of it, you're completly hypnotised." She stated, placing her hand on her hips.

 _I've seen him do that, too._

"It's interesting. The thought, that this read liquid runs through your entire body. I mean, that little bit of blood just now might have been in your brain just a while ago..." While he talked, his voice got more quiet under the intense stare the girl gave him.

"So what do we do now?" Naruto decided it was a good time to change the subject. Sakura glanced at him and relaxed her posture. So did the raven, who'd gotten slightly defensive.

 _Wow, that could have been an intense argument._

"We should go to the bridge. There's a market today and they have apples." Sasuke said after a while. He straightened and started walking towards the Themse. "Huh? Apples? Those are way to expensive." Naruto said. "Who said we're paying?" Sasuke answered, his back still turned. Sakura brightened up and ran after him, motioning the blond to follow.

The early summer sun burned down on the street they were walking on, which was filled with people. It was impossible to see further than a few steps because of the cluster consistent of well dressed young women and men. They moved in a sophisticated manner, throwing them, the poor kids in rags, pitied or disgusted looks. Naruto glanced up at the tall buildings, lining the edge of the stone bridge. There was not one spot left vacant.

 **AN: In case you didn't know, there used to be houses built on the London bridge until the same flood damages the bridge and it's rebuilt later on. Yes guys, people lived on the fucking bridge. (At least that's what our teacher said. Although you can never be too sure.**

The market they were strolling through was buisy and each of the small huts had their own sign. He looked farward to his friends. Sakura held onto the boys shirt, constantly looking back to make sure they didn't loose him. Sasuke kept going straight, paying noone any mind, until he stopped in his tracks, causing the girl to bump into him. "There it is." He said. He pointed to the right, where a long queue of people reached into the middle of the street. Behind the counter, a fat man with a mustache bagged the fruits and stuffed the money into a box. "Alright. You know what to do, Sakura. You just stay and watch." He said to Naruto. The two of them submerged into the crowd swiftly. At times, he could still catch glimpses of their fabric between the adults.

The girl had efficiently woven her way towards the front of the counter, while Sasuke held out his hands to the women, begging for a coin or two. He, too, got closer to the merchant, who didn't miss the frail boy. The mans eyes narrowed as he stepped out from his stand and walked up to him. A few ladies gasped when the man roughly grabbed the boys arm and threw him to the ground, causing him to wince. "Don't beg in front of my buisness, street rat." He snarled threatningly, before he stomped back to serve his next costumer.

The raven rose, brushed off the dust on his clothes and strolled back to Naruto with a smirk on his face. The blonds eyes were widened. "I got them!" He looked away from the boy, to see Sakura running towards them. "Nice!" They highfived, still ignoring the shocked look on the thirds face. "No need to look at us like that, airhead. It was all part of the plan." She said. Then she revealed three red apples, the size of his fist.

* * *

"That was a pretty amazing show you pulled off. How come we haven't done that until now?" Naruto mumbled, while they walked back to the street they lived on. He raised the apple to his mouth and bit of a large chunk. "If we'd do it more than once a year, the guy at the market might remember our faces." Sakura told him, very matter of fact. They kept walking, the occasional crunch being the only sound they emitted.

When they approached Sasukes house, they saw a bunch of people surrounding the entrance. He stared at them with a puzzled look, when a woman took notice of their presence. "I'm so sorry." She said, kneeling before him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "What's going on?" He said cautiously. He was concerned, that much Naruto could read from his expression. "It's your family... They're dead." She sobbed, drawing the attention of the rest of the assembly. All of them had their head bowed in sorrow. Sasukes eyes widened in shock, but he didn't move. "W-what?" His lips trembled.

Noone answered. They all stood around, useless to everyone, and watched how the frail boy stumbled towards the entrance.

Naruto and Sakura were about to follow him, but were held back by their parents. "You shouldn't go in there." Kushina Uzumaki said, while pulling her son in an embrace. "Then neither should he!" The blond protested, trying to get out of her hold. "You're right." Kizashi Haruno said, with his low raspy voice. He was holding his daughters shoulders tightly. "He shouldn't." Then he was silent.

* * *

 **Yup. This is exactly what I meant with "It wouldn't last longer than a year." There's an obvious difference in Sasuke's behaviour which will affect them a lot. You can also look forward to the next chapter, since it will most definitely feature a livid description of gore and blood. *laughs like a maniac* because I love that sort of thing. :)  
As always, feel free to leave a comment, I do answer them, btw. You tell me if you'd prefer my answering the questions in the AN at the beginning of the next chapter. And THANKS FOR THE FAVORITES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS OF COURSE! It made me way too happy. I'm sorry.**

 **Hope you liked it,**

 **-Ellie :)))**

 **PS: yes. I had to put in the whole 'Naruto loves Sakura'. Why? Because of reasons. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo. Back at it again. Miss me? Juuuuust kidding.  
** **Alright, so here it is, the graphic description. If you dont like it, you'll have to skip a large part of this, since I really enjoyed writing it, which means it's pretty long. Apart from that, I can't believe the chapter got this long again! What the fuck?! Srsly, I'll run out of stuff.  
I'll let future me handle it though...  
Read to your hearts content.**

* * *

A few minutes later, someone pointed at a car in the distance. "The police." They said. The car approached, creating a wave of dust that dispersed into the air behind it. It ratteled over the cobblestone and came to a stop just in front of the house. The man behind the wheel got out first, nodding to the crowd. He stood tall, clad in an elegant suit. He scrached his bald head, while he looked to his partner. Him being, unlike the other, very young. "What happened here?" The bald one asked, noone in particular. The woman from earlier squeezed through, stepping up to the policemen. She bowed her head and kept it that way while she spoke. "I-I found my neighbors murdered in their livingroom." He stuttered. A few gasped, others started mumbling to each other. "I see. How many bodies did you see?"-"There were three of them... Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha and their eldest son." She continued. The officers shared a look. "Is there another child? Where is it now." The young one asked. His voice was pressing, as if there was no time to waste. "Sasuke's inside." Naruto said from behind them. They nodded, running inside.

He'd never seen something like this. From where he was kneeling on the ground, the entire thing looked unreal.

 _That's right. This is all fake._

The boy stared forward, at the bodies covered in blood. Looking back at him, was his mothers distorted face. Her mouth was ripped open is a silent scream, while her once beautiful grey eyes were bloodshot and hazy. Completly dead. The red liquid trickled from the deep cut on her throat into a puddle, that had alreadly soaked her yellow summer dress. The body itself rested in an unnatural position; her arms caught under her chest and legs intertwined with oneanother.  
His fathers head rested on the ground next to her. He was facing down and his hand was reaching out for his wife.  
He'd been stabbed in the back multiple times.  
There was a track of blood trailing behind him. He must have tried to reach the woman he loved with the last of his strength and collapsed shortly before managing to clasp her cold hand.

Sasuke pulled his eyes away from his parents, gazing at the wall to his right; His brother sat against it, his chin resting on his collarbone. Had one just observed his face, he looked like he was in a peaceful sleep and not brutally murdered.  
His long black hair fell past his shoulders, down to the knife that stuck out of his chest. The white shirt was soaked in blood.

 _This is real._

He didn't cry.

 _Why aren't I crying?_

He lowered his head, blocking out the grotesque scene in front of him. Impossible. The images kept flashing behind his closed eyelids like a film that was constantly rewinding. An endless loop, that would never stop. He couldn't help but imagine the way it happened. Who died first? Was there more than one killer? Why were they killed? Why. Something started stirring within him, a feeling deeply buried in his chest. It grew bigger, took up more room and forced everything close to it out of the way. His heart squashed and burst; lungs filled up and absorbed; stomach contracted and destroyed. emotion he'd harbored. Within a split second, that awful thing had consumed his entire existance, leaving nothing of the boy but a puppet, controlled by the following things; One question, two emotions and three people he'd lost.

 _Why?_

 _Pain and regret._

 _Mother... Father... Brother..._

And then, even that was gone. The desire of knowing the truth about his family's murder. The pain of seeing them spraled on the ground lifeless. The regret of not being here to help them.  
 **The fact that he'd never be allowed to gaze upon their loving faces ever again.**

His expression went completly blank, when he stood and walked over to his mother. He kneeled into the blood puddle near her head and started to absentmindedly stroke her long silky hair. Then he closed his eyes. His hand wondered to her cheek, which was now stiff and cold, nothing like the way it used to be.

Footsteps called him out of his daze. They came closer and finally hentered the room, walking up to his small frame. He didn't bother standing up, or even acknowledge the mans presence. He knew who he was without even opening his eyes. A policeman. "Sasuke. Please step away from there." He said in a low voice.

The raven raised his head and stared the man in the eyes. He didn't make an attempt to stand. He just stared, until the man grew ancomfortable and approached the boy, avoiding the blood that had spread out across the wooden floor. He shook his head and reached under the boys arms to lift him onto his feet. He was a light as a feather. "I'm sorry, kid." He said, in a softer voice. His hand rested on the frail shoulder, steering the raven out of the room and back to the worried crowd.

Naruto watched the scene in horror. He could see the pain in Sasukes black eyes, when he was lead out of his home. Apart from that though, he didn't react to anything at all. He stared blankly, ignored the shaking arms that continuously draped around his neck and looked completly out of place.

It was like he didn't know what to do.

It sent shivers down his spine. Sasuke always knew what to do. He was always the one who would come up with outrageouse ideas or games and he was never able to stay still. He always had a grin or a smile on his face, except when he pretended to be serious to mess with either him or Sakura.

 _But this._

Now, he didn't move an inch. His chest barely rose form his shallow breathing and his eyes registered nothing. They didn't search for someone's support or even an answer.

 _Like a doll._

Some of the people around them howled in pain at the loss, otheres just closed their eyes in respect, while the rest cried. The raven didn't do any of those things. Hesitantly, Naruto walked over to him, after having grabbed the girls hand beside him. "Sasuke...-" Sakura started, when the blonds grip on her fingers tightened. He watched, as Sasuke raised his head, and stared up to the cloudy sky. Not one patch of blue was in sight, yet he kept staring, as if trying to find a way through.

It made the blond want to cry out. Seeing his best friend in such silent agony, crushed his heart and it felt so wrong. His eyes burned with tears.  
His trembling hand reached out for Sasukes shoulder slowly. He turned him around and stared into the other's eyes.

 _Nothing. I see nothing._

"Let us help you." He whispered. The boy didn't answer and his eyes grew dull and even less focused than before.

 ** _He's looking straight through me._**

* * *

Neither of them saw Sasuke for an entire week after the murder. He'd been kept at the police station for questioning, which shouldn't have taken longer than a day. The problem was, that he didn't have any relatives that were still alive. They were relieved, when the Haruno family offered to raise him until he could live on his own.

That's when she saw him again. Not the boy who had been her friend for thriteen years. Not the one she'd fallen in love with. Not the one she knew. It wasn't him.  
It was a measly copy, that had failed to take on the emotions the original had harboured.

Time dragged on and the dynamic between the three of them was different from before. Most of the time, Sasuke sat to the side, keeping to himself, and watched the other two.

Even though he gradually began to integrate himself again, his persona had changed from humerous and kind to cold and ironc. What the others didn't know, or so he thought, was that it was all part of his defense mechanism.

Even if it didn't make any sense, Sasuke knew, if he were to take down his walls again, he would loose his friends, too. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw his family lying there, soaked in their own blood. Then their faces changed, and he saw Sakura's face instead of his mothers and Naruto sitting against the wall with the knife in his chest. How could he be expected to act the same way as back then? He'd completly forgotten how to smile, after constantly being reminded of the same damn thing. Thefact that the police had never found the culprit. And since the Uchiha family was poor, they didn't linger on the case for too long and closed it on accounts of "lack of evidence". The raven despised them.

Most likely, they'd simply refused because of his father, who used to be one of them. He'd been fired from the policeforce after years of success, because he'd accused a higher-up of a crime.

Maybe that higher-up was the killer. Maybe he'd just wanted to shut Fukagu Uchiha up for good, after he found out about the evidence his father had found. Maybe he'd killed Itachi and Mikoto as part of his revenge. Maybe he'd come for the youngest Uchiha as well.

 _Maybe._

It didn't really matter to him though. He was aware of how much his friends' behaviour had changed because of him. They strained themseves on keeping their promise, but he wouldn't hold it against them if they'd brake it.

It'd been half a year since then. The Uchiha sat cross-legged on the barrel, clad in a black cloak and a cap of the same color. It cast a shadow on his face, though if he'd removed it, it wouldn't have disappeared. It was ever present, paired with the dark circles from the nightmares. She knew he had them. Sakura stood next to him, leaning against the wall. "It's getting colder, huh." Naruto mumbled, staring at the grey sky. "You're right." She said, clutching her arms and rubbing them.

 _Maybe it's not just the weather. He's gotten colder._

Her eyes trailed to Sasuke, reflecting her worry. He didn't move his head, but glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Stop looking at me like that." He deadpanned. His reaction only intesified the concern, her eyes going glassy. Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh and got up from the barell, earning the blonds attention as well. "Where are you going?"-"I can't take this anymore. Every single one of you just keeps staring at me like that." He hissed. His face was distorted with anger and annoyance, slightly scaring the girl. "But we're just worried about -"-"I don't need your pity!" He screamed at her.

Naruto stared at him.

 _How dare you scream at her! She's just trying to help you!_

He didn't move though. The raven turned on his heels and walked off, his hair flowing in the fall wind. The blond followed him, leaving behind the shocked and hurt Sakura, and grabbed his shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He shouted in the others face. How could he? She was his best friend, wasn't she? He'd just completly rejected her support.  
"You want to know what's wrong with me?! Oh, I'll tell you! My fucking family was murdered this year! And on top of that, all the people have left for me is pity, or so it seems. I've had enough. I'm moving into my own apartment." He screamed, his pale face turning read in the process. His black eyes burned with rage, fists clenched. It stunned Naruto.

 _So he's leaving us. He'll breake our promise, and so will we._

* * *

 **Bang. Pow. Swooosh. (Thought I'd add some soundeffects for you to notice the AN. Alright. I'll have you know just how much trouble I had with the last part. Finding a good way to transcend to the next stage is freaking hard! (So cut me some slack in case I don't update for a while. Or if it just plain sucks.) Also, I lied when I said the flashback was short. It'll take maybe one more chapter, less even. (Hopefully) I'll continue with the "main" story then. (Or maybe I'll stop the Flashback here... What would you think of that?)**

 **Sasuke is OOC again... Crap. *sighs* I want to skip the rest of Sasuke's rebellious faze. It's getting to me.**

 **The thing with Fukagu was just me trying to give you a reason for the murders, which was a pretty sad attempt, granted, but I just wanted to at least take that part of Sasuke from the series into this story.**

 **Tell me what you thought! Any ideas? (Please? I'm desperate.)  
-Ellie**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiiiiii! I'm back because I lied about the story being complete. I owe that to a reviewer (HXH KiruGon fan) who came up with some awesome ideas. :* Thanks a bunch. I tried to put them into words and hope I managed to implement them as good as possible. In case you're wondering, all I changed was 1. adding in this chapter and 2. changing a few things in the last one. Hope it makes some sort of sense now. (I wonder...)**

* * *

Had Naruto been anyone but himself, he might have just wallowed in his own misery of loosing his friend, but he simply couldn't. It wouldn't have felt right if he didn't try. Even if fate did want them to go their seperate ways, he wouldn't stand for it.

 _I'll get you out of that void, Sasuke._

He now stood in front of the ravens house, obviously unnanounces, or else the door would probably have never opened in the first place. He hadn't seen him for nearly two weeks, ever since Sasuke had snapped at them. That same day, he'd left for the police station demanding an apartment.

 _How the hell could they even let an underaged, traumatized boy live on his own? Or give him an apartment for that matter..._

He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts, in order to prepare for any kind of reaction he'd get.

The place he stood in front of wasn't far from his own house. It looked shabby, garbage lining the streets. The floor boards leading to the wooden door creaked with every step the blond took, threatning to give in. The paint on the wall, which he supposed was once white, had turned beige and yellow over time and smelled morbid.

Then he took a deep breath and knocked on the old wooden door softly. It took a minute before he heard dull footsteps from inside closing in on the entance. The knob turned and Naruto caught a glance of Sasuke's face through the open crack. "What do you want." He said monotonly.

It stung when he saw the dark circles under his friends eyes, but he hid it beneath a bright smile.

"Just wanted to see the apartment!" He said happily, pushing the door open further and walking past the threshold. The raven reluctantly stepped aside, all the while glaring at the intruder. "It looks better in here than out there." Naruto mumbled, strolling into the livingroom. He ignored the heated glare at the back of his head.

The furniture was scarce, only the few necessities decorated the room. The red couche was placed against the wall, contrasting the black wallpaper. The dim light, radiated from the lamp hanging from the ceiling. In the middle, just in front of the soft cushions, stood the coffeetable, on top of which there lay a picture frame.

It made Naruto twitch. He recognised that frame and the picture within it.

One, where Sasuke was barely ten years old and was surrounded by his loving and smiling family. Itachi carried him on his back, while Mikoto and Fukagu had their arms wrapped around their sons.

Don't tell me... Have you been staring at that?

He glanced at Sasuke, the tiredness even more apparent in his posture now that he stood in front of him.

"You saw it. Now leave." He muttered, gesturing back at the door. "Oh come on! This is the first we've seen from each other in two weeks. Why don't you come hang out with me and Sakura?" Naruto suggested instead. Sasuke didn't return the favour and stared back at him blankly. The spark that used to be there gone. He hadn't seen it in over six months. "To do what?" He asked.

Naruto looked at his feet, shaking his head in with a sad smile. "You were always the one with the best ideas." He mumbled, his words just barely reached Sasuke's ears.

"Look. if this is supposed to be some sort of continuation of last time, you can cut it out." He hissed in a low voice. He walked back to the door and opened it slowly, waiting for Naruto to¨do something.

 _What do I do? Just keep talking to him... Make him understand how we feel._

"You've changed a lot and it makes us miss the old you, Sasuke. Nothing's been the same and it feels like it's starting to seperate us." Naruto said, trying not to choke on the developing tears.

When he raised his head again and locked eyes with the other.

"I see. So that's what this is." Sasuke mumbled, brushing through his hair with stagnant movements. He could detect a hint of hurt in his voice, though it was faint. It was as if he had to take a moment to let the words sink in, before he could say anymore. To Naruto, that split second felt like forever. He saw how Sasuke's eyebrows began to furrow in anger and how his posture became defensive. The delicate long fingers curled into tense fists. Then the raven looked at him again. Anything that kept him from bursting out in shouts was gone, leaving nothing but anger and the feeling of betrayal.

"Of course I've changed! How could I not?! And here you are, telling me that I should go back to being carefree and happy. You and Sakura both don't seem to accept the fact that I'll never go back to being that person. This-", he gestured at his thin form, "-is who I am now." He screamed. His voice was trembling with rage and he started breathing heavily.

Naruto took a step closer, trying his best to remain calm and not loose his temper as well. "You don't understand. You're our best friend and we'll accept you no matter how much you change. We just care to much, to watch you loose yourself completly." He took a deep breath. "What I'm saying, is that I've seen your kindness, your happiness and loyalty. I don't want you to forget you possess those things."

When he'd heard those words, Sasuke took a step back, processing them. He leaned against a wall, since his legs seemed to get gradually weaker from sleep deprivation. When he opened his mouth to oppose, Naruto cut him off.

"If you shut us out, you'll be swollowed up by your darkness and you won't get out at all. Opening up to us won't harm you, all that will happen is that you share your burden with your friends. Don't punish yourself by botteling it up." With his last few words, he stepped closer to the raven and wrapped his arms around his shoulders tightly. Sasuke stiffened, but didn't push him away. Shortly after, he let go and walked towards the door, glancing back once more.

"Don't make us break our promise." he said, before he closed the door behind him.

* * *

 **Alright, that's it for the flashback. Hope you enjoyed it! It's supposed to show just how much Naruto cares, despite Sasuke's drastic changes.**

 **Review! Fav? (Follow if you like, although I'm not sure wether or not I'll write more... XD)**

 **-Ellie :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yo!**

 **Changed this one as well. Again, thank's to HXH KiruGon fan for some of the ideas, I really appreciated them.**

 **Even though it's still kinda short, I hope you like it :)  
Enjoy!**

* * *

"..." Sakura stared at him in disbelief, when he'd finished recounting the events. "I get why you didn't tell him right away." She said with a sigh.

"Yeah. Though I think it would have helped had he known. I was pretty out of it, so I snapped at him." He said, his eyes on the sleeping raven. "He can handle it. Worse has happened." She said with a sad look on her face.

 _Maybe he can't. Maybe he's just been botteling everything up again, like back then_.  
 _Will he ever open up to us again?_

The thought tugged at his heart. It just felt like the raven kept to himself because he didn't trust them. Then again, he did try to comfort the blond.

"He seems to have calmed down." Sakura said after a while, lifting the ravens head and placing into Naruto's lap, the latter being utterly confused. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just getting some water." She said, as she stood up and walked to the otherside of the room and disappeared behind a door.

Naruto's blue orbs focused on Sasuke's face. Eyelids closed tightly, frowning and eyebrows furrowed. He glanced at his friends thumb, recognizing the large scar, which resembled his. It brought a slight tear to his eye. While it made him happy and nostalgic, it also brought deep sorrow with it. The ritual that came with the promise...

 _I miss his old self._

Tears fell, leaving drops on the ravens face. The latters eyelids furrowed and opened hesitantly. His eyes were hazy, staring up to the blond. He couldn't see much, but he felt the wetness on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked, his voice raspy. He had to force himself to supress the coughing fit that would have followed it.

"I'm sorry, I really am." The blond mumbled. When the words reached the other, his sight cleared, his look confused. "I really shouldn't have reacted ike that. I didn't mean to hurt you." Naruto sobbed. It earned him an eyeroll and a glare from Sasuke. "Is that what you think? You've got to be kidding me." He huffed, regretting it, when it stung his head instantly. But it didn't matter. "If you hadn't been there for me back then, I might have slit my throat. If you hadn't come for me today, I'd be dead out there, floating somewhere in the water... Look. I don't know what happened while I was unconcious, but I know how much it affected you. All I ask is that you tell me what happened, so I can understand." He choked, pulling his knees closer to his body, to cough into the rough fabric of the blanket. When he looked back at his friend, he saw that the tears had stopped and his face had become serious.

"Back when I was carrying you towards Sakura's house, I found a girl pinned under a sooden beam. She was barely keeping herself up, so I hurried up and got that thing off her. But when I wanted to help her up she-" He took a shakey breath, looking at the wall in front of him. Sasuke knew what he was going to say next. It was obvious, yet he couldn't get himself to stop Naruto from saying out loud. "-had already drowned. She was just a kid... And she died because I couldn't save her. It's my fault." He bit his lip, refraining from sobbing.

Those words made the raven recall images from his past. The bodies of his brother and parents sprawled on the ground, covered in blood. They made him remember blaiming himself for not being there to protect them. He'd always thought that he was at least partially responsible for their deaths, even though he couldn't have done anything to prevent it.

 _He feels the same way I did..._

Sasuke couldn't say anything, due to shock.

 _You're wrong! You couldn't have stopped it from happening. You're not responsible for her death!_ That's what he wanted to scream at the blond. He didnt want to see him submitting himself to false guilt and resentment. But he couldn't get the words out, because there was one thought in particular that overshadowed the others.

 ** _He understands._**

Without a word Sasuke propped himself up on his palms and wrappend a trembling arm around his friends shoulders in a loose hug. Even though Naruto knew he was exhausted, he emitted a radiating warmth, he hadn't felt from him since the day of the murder. It was a nostalgic feeling, which forced the tears to stream down his face stronger. He started shaking and sniffling, while tightening the hug. He felt secure in the ravens arms.

Sasuke pushed himself away and stared into the blonds wet face. "It's not your fault that she died." He said with a straight face.

"I really missed you." He pressed out between sobs, a smile plastered on his face. The raven raised his eyebrows and frowned, which seemed to take a lot of effort. "I wasn't out for that long, was I?" he said. How dense can you get? "Yeah, you're right." Naruto laughed.

He just couldn't stop himself. Despite his general situation, he forgot everything exept for the person in front of him. The frail darkhaired boy, leaned against the wall now, black eyes gazing back at him.  
Then something beautiful happened. His lips curved upwards, into a smile. A genuine smile, directed towards him. The pearly white teeth peeked out from behind the soft lips, like small diamonds. His eyes were bright and glittered even in the dim light of the church. "You're such an idiot." He said, delicate tears falling from his cheeks. All the seriousness had vanished from his features and voice, leaving nothing but the image of the thirteen-year-old Sasuke in the blonds mind.

 _Oh, how much I've missed you._

The sound of shattering pottery broke their eyecontact. The girls hand were shaking, as she stared at them with large glassy eyes. There was no sadness though, just plain happyness reflected by them, conjuring a bright smile on her face.

Completly disregarding the smashed cup and it's contents, she started movig towards them with unsteady steps, after she'd been able to get out of the statue like position she'd been in. When Sakura reached them, her knees gave in. The boys were pulled into a tight hug, a head on each side of her shoulder.

"Finally... _Finally_ you're smiling again." She mumbled into their ears. "Thank you, Naruto."

* * *

 **Alright folks. That's it. I think I'll end this story here. I like the ending, even if it might seem rushed, because I don't think I could have done it a lot better than this anyway.  
I reeally hope you liked the story and this final chapter.**

 **In case you don't like the ending or anything else in particular, let me know, and I might consider continuing it after all. It's ultimatly up to you guys.**

 **Leave a review, if you like, and I'll see you at some point with a new story I hope you'll like equally or even more. :)**

 **-Ellie aka DeadThingsStayDead**

 **Luv you!**


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